The present disclosure relates to the field of human vaccines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to pharmaceutical and immunogenic compositions, for the prevention or treatment of human picornavirus infection or disease, in particular human rhinovirus (HRV) infection or disease.
Picornaviridae is one of the largest viral families and is composed of 14 genera, six of which include human pathogens. Well known picornaviruses are enteroviruses (including polio, and rhinoviruses), foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), and hepatitis A virus (HAV). Other members of the Picornaviridae family are coxsackievirus, echovirus, human parechovirus and aichi virus. Picornaviridae cause illnesses like the common cold, gastroenteritis, heptatis, pneumonia, poliomyelitis, meningitis, hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Although infections often are mild, certain strains may cause pandemic outbreaks accompanied with meningitis and/or paralysis.
Rhinoviruses are the primary cause of acute upper respiratory tract infections in humans, known as the common cold. They are also the most common viral cause of severe exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Currently there are over 100 HRV serotypes. There is little or no cross-protection between serotypes due to the existence of type specific immunodominant neutralising epitopes, and no vaccine has so far been developed. A rhinovirus vaccine, which would need to be able to protect against multiple serotypes, therefore represents a large unmet medical need.